title: Recurrent overexpression of c-IAP2 in EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinomas: critical role in resistance to Toll-like receptor 3-mediated apoptosis.
abstract: The oncogenic process leading to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) requires the combination of genetic and epigenetic alterations, latent infection by the Epstein-Barr virus and local inflammation. A transcriptome analysis of NPC xenografts identified the gene encoding the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 (c-IAP2) among the top five most intensely expressed. Consistently, the very high levels of the c-IAP2 protein were detected in 11 of 13 NPC biopsies. RMT 5265, a structural analog of second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC), induced the rapid degradation of c-IAP2 in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells, whether malignant or not, but blocked clonal cell growth in NPC cells only. In short-term experiments, RMT 5265 induced apoptosis in a fraction of NPC cells, and this apoptosis was dramatically enhanced when RMT 5265 was combined with Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) stimulation. By contrast, the cooperative effect with tumor necrosis factor alpha was only marginal. The apoptosis induced by the combination of RMT 5265 and TLR3 stimulation was mediated by caspase-8 and associated with a decrease in the cellular content of the long isoform of FLICE-like inhibitory protein. Similar caspase-8 activation was obtained when siRNA knockdown of c-IAP2 was combined with TLR3 stimulation. In conclusion, c-IAP2 has a specific protective function in NPC cells challenged by TLR3 agonists. This protective function is probably important to make NPC cells tolerant to their own production of small viral RNAs, which are potential agonists of TLR3. Our data will help to design a rational use of IAP inhibitors in NPC patients.
authors.affiliation: Université Paris-Sud, CNRS-UMR 8126, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Friboulet
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pioche-Durieu
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valent
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Souquère
authors.forename: Hugues
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ripoche
authors.forename: Abdelmajid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khabir
authors.forename: Sai Wah
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bosq
authors.forename: Kwok Wai
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Busson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D000075747:Baculoviral IAP Repeat-Containing 3 Protein; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
chemical_list: C099537:Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA 1; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012367:RNA, Viral; C495344:TLR3 protein, human; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3; C494832:BIRC3 protein, human; D000075747:Baculoviral IAP Repeat-Containing 3 Protein; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D053181:Caspase 8; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex